Still With Us
by catscats1223
Summary: Team Minato had gotten another picture of them taken after the passing of their team mate, Obito. Kakashi discovers that Obito may still be with them yet.


"Here you go! It's from the photography place."

"Thank you..."

As soon as the post man had turned away from his apartment door, Kakashi shut and locked it, then turning away from the door himself. Glancing at the envelope containing his new team picture he sighed, as this one was going to be lacking one of the original members.

Kakashi dragged his feet over to the storage closet set up in the corner of the hallway, out of the way and inconspicuous. Prying open one of the doors slowly he grabbed a wooden picture frame from a cardboard box situated on the very bottom shelf.

He ambled into the kitchen and to the table sat underneath the only window in that particular room, turning the kettle on while walking past it.

Slumping onto one of the chairs he placed down the still unopened envelope and started to take the back of the frame off so he could stuff the new picture in place, put it somewhere, and never have to lay eyes on it ever again.

Really, he could not decide what was worse, a picture with Obito still present or one with him absent. Either still brought a painful pang to his heart when he thought about them.

When he had finally won the battle with the picture frame he picked up the envelope again. Staring at it he contemplated if he would be scolded by Rin or his Sensei if he just left the picture within it, leaving the envelope exactly as he had received it. Shaking off those thoughts, he plucked a kunai from his pouch, which had been conveniently left laying on the table's surface. He would open the envelope, he would not be bested by his failure, he would learn from it and grow from it, and he would honour Obito's last wish by protecting Rin.

It was the least he could do for his best friend.

The envelope gave way to the kunai easily, Kakashi stuck his hand inside and took out a few things.

A thank you for choosing them to take the photo,

An advertisement to get you to come back,

And, finally, the photo.

It took a second for him to be able to see it properly, what with the sunlight glaring down through his window, but when he did get a good eye full of the dreaded thing,

He very nearly let it drop out of his grasp.

Righting his hold on it, well as much as his suddenly suspiciously numb hands could, he studied the photo once more to check he was not, in fact, going mad.

What he had seen was still there the second time round as well.

Minato was still there, front and centre, holding onto Rin and his own shoulders, a sombre smile gracing his lips.

Rin was there too, her eyes closed as she smiled as hard as she could, but it still came off as fake and tragic.

He was there too, masked but with his right eye now covered by his head band bearing the village's symbol, as usual he had not made an effort to seem happy, he was simply expressionless.

What he, nor anyone in their right mind, had expected to see was the forth person. Obito.

Tucked in between Rin and himself, seated in front of Minato, was a smiling Obito. he had made the universal peace sign with two of his fingers. His signature orange goggles were on properly, covering up up eyes that Kakashi could not see in any other way than as both of them present and very red. Obito was leaning close to Kakashi in an, dare he say it, friendly way, a way that before Obito's death would have seemed unachievable.

Kakashi could not seem to tear his eyes away from the photo, was his mind playing tricks on him? Showing him what might of happened could kakashi of saved Obito?

Blinking Kakashi finally looked away and over to the picture frame laying ready a little further away. He picked it up, set the photo in place, replaced the back of it and then turned it around again to see if Obito was still, indeed, there. He was.

Closing his eye, the only eye that actually belonged to him, he let out a strange sound, half way between a laugh and a sob.

'Trust Obito to be late in moving on.' But, Kakashi could not find it in himself to be angry at Obito for lingering around some where he probably should not be for a little longer than needed. Really, it was more of a comfort. He knew now that Obito was still looking over his team.


End file.
